Elaine Duncan

On November  10th, the Nanoose Weavers and Spinners guild met for their monthly meeting.  We went to the Bradley Centre in Coombs, rather than the meeting being hosted in one of the member’s homes, which is our tradition.  We were excited to learn about eco dyeing based on our member, Linda Wallace’s experience, who was very fortunate to have taken a workshop with India Flint earlier in the year.  We each brought fabrics of our choice (cottons, wools, silks, linens) along with materials we had collected in nature (leaves, cones, sticks, pieces of rusty iron, dried blossoms, etc) and we wrapped our fabric bundles.  Then we were to take our bundles home and put them into dye baths of our individual choice.  I had an old madder bath from the summer and put my two bundles into that in my crock pot, as I was leaving in two days for Mexico, and wanted to get the pieces dyed before I left.  You can see one of the scarves above and one here below…

Show and tell for the members’ pieces will be in the new year.  Everyone agreed that it was a fun experience…to play!!

I was delighted to teach at the Maiwa Textile Symposium in early November.  I had a very enthusiastic class comprised of beginning tapestry weavers and more advanced.  It was good to have many levels so the beginners could be inspired by those who had more experience.  Every day I showed a digital presentation showing the weavers and dyers of Teotitlan de Valle, Oaxaca and also the inspiration of the archeological ruins at Mitla and Monte Alban.  Maiwa is a fantastic organization to work with as they anticipate what the instructor’s needs might be as well as the students.  We worked in the Net Loft upstairs where Maiwa has its textile and book collections.  Excellent place to be!  I have included some photos of the workshop.

Packing up the yarns in preparation for the class

We used naturally dyed wool yarns mostly from my Romney sheep that was mill spun in Crofton, BC.  They were 2 ply and worked well at cotton seine twine sett at 8 epi.

The teacher's table in the class.

Some photos of the students’ work:

As with any class each sampler, each student’s approach, colour choices, and the work looks completely different from each other.  Each person learns to find their own voice and express themselves.  Thanks Maiwa and my students for an excellent workshop!!

From September 13 to October 1, 2011 a display of tapestry pieces will be shown at the Oceanside Community Arts Council building (aka MAC) in Parksville, BC.  This local group of tapestry weavers meet monthly to share their enthusiasm for handwoven tapestry.  Twice a year they also meet with another group from Victoria, BC comprising the members of TAPIS (Tapestry Weavers from Vancouver Island).  Many of the members are internationally known and have shown their work in Great Britain, USA, Mexico and Australia, as well as in Canada.  The McMillan Art Centre is open Tuesday to Saturdays, from 10 am to 4 pm.

Tapestry Expressions at the MAC

Another view

And another view

Jean Pierre Larochette and Yael Lurie taught a tapestry workshop for 12 participants in Parksville, BC from Sept 6- 9th, 2011.  This workshop was taught in the traditional French Aubusson way with many people weaving from the back of the tapestry for the first time.  Exercises in colour blending, demi duite, battage, pass oblique hachures were introduced and then each person worked with Yael designing an individual tapestry based on these techniques.  Of course, each person’s work varied according to skill level and personality.  Jean Pierre and Yael shared images of their work, their friend, Gabriel Canales’ work, and history of traditional Aubusson workshops.  Everyone was very happy with the results.

the tapestry class room

Another day, another view

On September 6 through 9th, 2011 two international tapestry exhibitions came to the Oceanside Community Arts Council gallery (McMillan Art Centre) in Parksville, BC.  Jean Pierre Larochette and Yael Lurie brought the tapestries from the Maiz collaboration of tapestry artists from the United States, Mexico and Canada, as well as their own Watersongs series of tapestries.  I have included some gallery photos.

Maiz tapestries: Christine Rivers, Ann Dumper, Jackie Wollenberg, Elaine Duncan, Bonnie Nicholls, Donna Millen

Maiz tapestries: Victoria Stone, Sonja Miremont, Nancy Trissell, Louise Abbott, Nancy Williamson, Elaine Todd Stevens, Gabriel Canales, Yadin Larochette/Yael Lurie, Jean Pierre Larochette, Jean Gabriel Larochette, Christine Rivers

David's first project on his new loom: the Louet "David'

I have been teaching an enthusiastic beginner weaver this early Summer.  David Gracey, Parkvsville, BC decided he would like to learn to weave after attending a Fiber event sponsored by the Thursday Spinners at the  Bradley Centre this past May.  With David’s permission this is a photo of his latest project…tea towels, threaded in Rosepath, 8/4 cotton warp sett at 15 epi.  He is also working on mug rugs on a table loom.  The colours are glorious and just make a person smile.  Congratulations David!

I am sharing a link with those of you interested in seeing behind the scenes and the gallery exhibition of Woven Threads.  Mike Wallace, exhibition chair, gave permission for me to include this link to his photos:  http://gallery.me.com/mikewallaceart#100131&bgcolor=black&view=grid .  Woven Threads is currently being shown at the Stables Gallery, Orleans House Gallery, Riverside, Twickenham in the UK from 7 July to 23 October 2011.  Woven Threads is the latest in a series of British Tapestry Group international exhibitions; a juried exhibition that show a wide range of contemporary woven tapestry.  The exhibition was open to full BTG members and work had to fulfill an entry criteria.  Jurors included:  Liz Cooper, Contemporary Craft Curator, Thomas Cronenberg, Artist and Journalist, and Mark de Novellis, curator of Exhbiitons and Collections for the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.  Catalogues are available through the BTG website:  www.britishtapestrygroup.co.uk.

My tapestry, Soul Searching, was included in this exhibition:

Soul Searching

This piece was woven with cotton seine twine warp, with cotton,wool, silk, cottolin, and natural dyed wool and silk.  It measures 31 cm w by 44 cm h.

Marianne cutting off her wonderful tapestry

Last Thursday, August 4th, our local tapestry group met at the home of Marianne Sadik.  Not only was it our regular meeting date, but member Marianne had finished weaving her tapestry and wanted to share the cutting off with her weaving friends who each cut a few warp threads.   Her tapestry was woven at 12 epi using cotton seine twine for warp and paternayan wool for the weft.  It depicts her two homes…the one where she was born and raised, England, which is symbolized  by the acorn, and her life here in Canada with her husband, Sadik, symbolized by the fir cone.  The tree of life in the centre joins these two journeys.  Marianne is a very talented and thoughtful weaver although she has only been weaving for 3 years.  (photo courtesy of Audrie Sands)

Christine Rivers cutting off her latest tapestry "Rock On"

On Sunday evening, July 17, 2011, Christine Rivers invited her tapestry friends to her home for a cutting off party.  The tapestry depicts the climbing rocks in Oregon that she and her partner, Dean, visit annually.  When asked she will tell you that she has not personally climbed these particular rocks, but hopes to maybe in the future.  They are difficult she says.  She loves to photograph her inspiration and being a hiker, walker, bike rider, etc she is never wanting for inspiration and says the tapestries to be done are all lined up in her head just waiting.  The enlarged photo of her inspiration can be viewed just to the right of the picture.

Linda Wallace holds the tapestry for all to see

The tapestry measures approx 24″ wide by 48″ high, sett at 10 epi, cotton seine twine warp and Paternayan Paterna wool yarn for most of the weft.  She wove it from the back and on its side…so had no idea what it would like when viewed from the front.  Everyone who attended commented that she has developed her own personal style in her design and weaving techniques.  “It is so Christine” was the comment voiced by many who attended.  It is always a wonderful celebration when someone cuts a tapestry off the loom!

Madder plants growing in pots

In 2007, a friend offered to let me dig up her madder bed.  At that time I harvested quite alot of roots which produced a rich dye bath.  I was interested in growing my own madder so I transplanted a few young roots into a very large pot.  Each successive year, I removed a few young plants and transplanted more roots, until I had 3 tubs of madder growing.  Now I know that I have read that madder does not like to grow in pots, but it was a good thing that I had put them into pots, as I had to make a rather quick move to a new residence and my madder was able to come with me!  Yesterday, I dumped the soil and madder plants and roots from the original pot onto a tarp and began the process of harvesting the roots.   Many of the roots were very large and were tangled in a mass as a root ball, probably due to the fact that they could not expand out into a bed, but were confined by a pot.

the roots and leaves of the madder plant

Then I proceeded to wash the soil from the roots and cut off the leaves.  The washing also helps to rinse away the yellow tones that madder often gives in the first dye baths.  I cut the roots and left them to dry in the sun on a rack.  Today I will cut them into smaller pieces, let them dry until they shrivel up and become hard.  Then it will be time to dye!

roots on the rack drying

Then I proceeded to plant another pot for harvesting in three years (2014) using some of the roots.

Newly planted pot

I will use the madder roots dyebath in a workshop scheduled for August and will post the results.